taxsey



F. R. TAISEY.

CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED NIM/16,1918.

1,437,784. Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

Patented V Dec. 5, 1922.

yanni) a. TArsEY, QF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, To-Tnn LAMSON COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION oF MASSACEUSETTS. x

Appneation inea May 1e,

track or Wayjfor objects7 packages or mate!` rials driven along the conveyer kby 4gravity or other force. Conveyersot the ytype in questionare in familiar use orloading, unloading fand carrying `all sorts offmaterlals, and products indoors' andy out: `The 'variety of places in which such Lconveyers areused t necessitatesv provision of curved sections adapted'safely to carry the materials, prod-' uctsor packages lconveyed varound greater kor lesser vangles at lpoints inthe lengthV .ot the conveyer, `Heretofore in thebest practice dependence "hasbeenfplaced uponguide rails or flanges adapted to contactyvith the packages, 'materials or productsbeing con-` veyed to keep the thingconveyed upon `the conveyer at'lateral curves. fl am also aware' of instances in the prior art of attempts to direct the .materialy at 'curves in such a conveyer by elevating the axis of therolls atv the convex side of'the'curve, `by the pro'-` vision of lange'sycn thevvheelsor rolls making up the conveyen orfby` grooves inthe conveyer rolls; `or by the'plrovisi'on of'conical conveyer rollsjat and applicable only to curves `ofiixed dimensions, so that dit#` ferentlyv formedy rolls khave to `bei provided'.

' the'roll; surface incontact with it.

foreach diiferingfcurve. t l l i* I It is a requisiterof any such construction for full usefulness thaty installation shalleasily bemade at any particular'place Without using other than standardtypes of parts the needs of the'place beingequipped. They provisionotiixedy guiderails or iianges at the outer sides ofplateral. curves in 'such tangent;

" coN-VEYER.

1918. serial No. 234361. I

conveyers is objectionable in many` instances because of the limitation placed upon the Width of the package fable to `be conveyed,v

and in other cases itis objectionable because i of the braking action of the guide rail upon the object being conveyed, it being yunderstood that a principal ,use of saiddevices is for conveyers adapted to beset up horizontally or at a very slight angle to the horirontal for operation by the momentum or l gravity of the thing being conveyed. j

I have observed in the operation of such conveyers that the hold taken on the object or package conveyed the surface of such a conveyer roll duringk the passage of the ob-ject overl the roll strongly tends to direct .the package at ri ht angles to the 4axis of rotation of the rol. This directive action is so strong that in many cases a lateral curve in such "a conveyerk equipped vvithv cylindrical rollsv successively rotating on radii of thev curve will exert a considerable and ,sometimes a suiiicient directive force upon a package entering the curve at a i `I am aware of rinstallations of gravity conveyers of this type in which comparatively diiiicult'objects,` such as very lightpaper boxes, cases of bottles full' of liquid7 or heavy objects such as v'assembled engines and machine tools, are directed around curves of fairly Short radius yby cyllndrical rolls set to rotate on radii of the curve. But even in such cases there is some loss 'of direction by lateral slippage inthedirection ot the `rolland loss of momentum due to theobject havingto pivot onone point and slip at other points in respectto .j

A principalo-bject lof the present inven? the invention are to avoid guide rails,.-and` to provide means for causing the orderly progress around a curve of a package, ob-` ject or material being conveyed by gravity along a conveyer ork Way rprovided With antifriction bearing surfaces for the package or material by the unaided actionof such surfaces; and to reduce loss of momentum by reducing slippage or the object longitudinally ot the conveyer. Another object of the invention is to provide a roll or unit` or section for gravity conveyers adapted without change tokbe 'installed in curves of various radii, and when installed to serve to direct things being conveyedby gravity around the curves without substantially displacing them laterally Vini relation to the conveyer or way.

LReferring now to `the accompanying drawings illustrating species only of the genus comprising the invention,-

-Figure l is aplan illustrating one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a spindle and rolls forming one unit or the curved part or the conveyer;

Figure 3 is a radial section at a. curve illustrating a modiication;

Figure eis asimilar view illustrating another modification;

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating another modification;

` Figure dis a similar view illustrating an'- other modiiication; y

l at the radially inward and radially outward Figure 7 is a` section through one of the rolls shown in Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. T, illustrating another form or construction; and

Figure 9'is a view similar to l, illustrating a modified 'form of installation.

-Referri`ng` now to Fig. l, a typical curve. between straight sections A andl may comprise curved side rails l. and 2 shown as circular, but which may be compounded of any number of arcs oli circles or' different radii or be of any geometric tigure, such as elliptical` or parabolic, as viewedin plan. ris shown kin Fig. 3 the rails l and- 2 may be bent metal bars."` shown as Lshaped bars, spaced apartat uniform. radial distances by struts Sriveted or bolted to their flanges. As shown in Fig. l, the rails l and 2 are each bored, respectively at equal distances and in radialfplanes 'from the-center or curvature C, to receive a shouldered spindle e which may be held in place by cotter pins 5 or other convenient Afastening means, and upon which spindles the conveyei" rolls proper are journalcd.

Preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the spindles t are provided with the inner mem bers 7 of ball races 7, S, the member 'Z bearing or fitting on the spindle e, and the outer member 8 being tast in a recesseo roll headV 9 fastened within a tubular roll, as shown at l0, for instance by being welded thereto; but

any other bearing 'construction may be e1n ployed.

At the curves, as typified by the sections l, 2, l provide independently rotatable rolls sides or the conveyer track, Jfor instance 'struction for the roll ll may be the `same Aas the bearing 'construction for the roll 10. The roll ll may be held `from contact with roll 4-l() by a tubular spacer l2, as shown in Fig. 2. ln the iiorm illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 theroll '10 and the roll ll are ot' the same diameter. Preferably the straight sections A and B next the curve have one or more multiple rolls adjacent the curved section. i

` When an object X moving in thel direction of the arrow nF ig. l, encounters the curved section of the conveyer, its first contact will be with the inward section 'l0 'or a radiall placed multiple roll at the curve l, 2. il changed direction oit 'the object can not be given by contact with the part l0 of theroll without slippage, if the object is not free to pivot on the roll to the rear, and the outward' part of the object, in order to change its direction, must move faster than the in-Y ward part. rIfhis accelerated motion necessary at the outward part ofthe package to enable it tochange its direction, is permitted and induced by the independently movable roll 1l, which infturn is enabled toimpose motion in a direction perpendicular to its spindle upon that part of the package orobject in contact with it and to permit Jfurther acceleration of the outward part of the object by the change of direction at the next roll ahead. This actionV takes place all aroundthe curve, the independent rolls at the curve serving .to direct a package or object vsupported in commonby them without substantial loss of its energy of motion by increments away from the tangential directions, and preventing it fromr moving toward the outer edge 2 of the curve.

The particular "form and dimension of the elements l0, ll, of the multiple rolll may vary considerably, as may be desired, or Vbest to conform to the place at which the device is to be installed, or the nature'ot the objects, materials or packages to be conveyed. For instance, as illustrated in'Fig. 4 the roller section l0 and the roller section ll may be of like length and considerably' sepa-ratedin the middle; orV as illustrated in Fig. 5 the roller section 10 maybe a cylinder and the roller section lla may be a cone having its larger diameter somewhat greater than tlie'diamelll? of the roll ll; or as shown in Fig. 8 the ring 12 may be seated in a depression 13 in the roll 1l; or the ring l2might be welded, brazed or otherwise fastened upon the surface of the roll l1 in any desired position.

The effectkof the described lmultiple rolls is to enable a load of any width traveling around a curve to be directed yby the action of rolls in respect to an inward point of contact, at the concave side of the track; and.

an outward point kof contact, on an independently contacting roll and nea-rer the convex side of the track. The load is free to pivot by the turning effort of rolls at successive radii about these pointsof contact, and without the resistance which would be encountered if contact were maintained with an element of the surface throughout, as would be the case if the multiple rolls delined a conical surface.

ln some situations, as where the frictional hold of the object or material on the rolls of the conveyer is not strong, and where the conditions are particularly diflicult, as where a heavy object is to be carried around a curve of very short radius, l may resort to the expedient in Fig. 9, in kwhich the axes of the successive rolls passing around a curve are not radial to the center C but are successively radial to false centers C displaced from center C in a direction contrary to the direction of travel, so as'to cause the surfaces of the rolls to have l an inward directive component at the curve to counterbalance the outward motion in respect to the roll Vsurface dueto the centrifugal force at the curve.. f

Any desired or known construction of the rails l, 2, struts B, andthe hangers or stanchions for supporting the conveyer may be empioyed.

I claim l. A conveyer of the type comprising an antifriction track for the thingr to be cone veyed, having therein a curved portion having at respective sides thereof antifriction means rotatable about common axes and having surfaces adapted to support in common the thing conveyed, said surfaces severally being adapted independently to move at different rates with andinresponse to differing' motions of the respective parts of the thing resting upon and conveyed thereby, one of said sectionsbeing a cylinder,

2. A. conveyer of the type comprising an antifriction track for the thing to be conveyed, having therein at respective sides of the track antifrictioii rolls having surfaces rotating about common axes and adapted to support in common the thing conveyed,y said rollsseverally being adapted independently to rotate withand in response to differing motions of the respective parts ofthe thing resting upon and conveyed thereby and adapted between them to comprise latsliown erally a substantially continuous broad surface. v v v 3. A conveyer having therein a track comprising side rails, spindles mounted crosswise of the rails, and independently rotatable rolls at least one of which is cylindrical on the spindles, extending respectively a different part only of the distance between y,the

rails and adapted in common to support the thing to be conveyed, whereby motion of a part of the thing conveyed at one side of the track can occur independently of motion of the cylindrical surface of a roll supporting'another part of the thing' at the other sidey of the track whatever the n distance apart of the bearing surfaces of the load on the track.A

A curved section for conveyers of the type comprising a single track for the passage of objects, said section having antifriction rolls therein for directing and supporting the object, the directing and supporting means at the inner and outer sides of the curve respectively being mounted on and movable independently by the passing object on 'spindles extending from side to side v of the useful rwidth of the track, the rolls at the concave side of the curve being cylin- 'ing movablev independentlyy by the passing object, the said means at the convex side of the curve being adapted to lift the object from extensive contact in a lateral sense with the surface of said means at the concave side of the curve.

6. A conveyer having therein a curved section `comprising spaced side rails and a plurality of multiple rolls comprising coinponent rolls coaXially rotatable on axes lying crosswise of the rails, each roll of said multiple rolls extending a part way only of the radial distance between the rails, and being rotatable independently of another roll thereof, the roll atthe concave side of the curve being a cylinder.

7.. A conveyer having therein a curved section comprising side rails, spindles held in the railscrosswise of the rails, and a plurality of independently rotatable rolls on each spindle, each roll extending respectively a different part only of the distance between the rails.

8. A conveyer having rails, spindles mounted crosswise of the rails, and rolls mounted on the spindles to provide an antifriction surface wholly above and clear of the rails for movement of objects to be conveyed and directed `by the action of the roll llO mirino/es, a Section of the eonveyer being laterally Curved, and lia-ving; therein a plurality or' independent-Ly inimitable 'rolls oneaoh spindle.

` 9. A conveyor Comprising in adjacent succession multiple rolls each comprising two or more cylindrical rolls oi the Seinerdinnieterml und bearing menne holding the rolls 'for free rotation independently on a ooi'nnion exis.

l0. .fr multiple roll for eonveyers having 'lreely and independently'rotatable load-supporting elementse one` of Seial elements having al peripheral portion of greater diameter than any portion of J@he other element.

IL JL multiple roll for conveyers having freely and independently roaable eylindri- @el elements driven by the load conveyed thereby, one ol: seid element-s heu/ing a' peripheral ring` @dented to lift :in object in eenaot*therewith above porions of the snr fece oi another o seid elemente.

l2. A multiple roll for eonveyers having oylindrirul eleinenis independently rotatable by 2ay load moving upon them., one of said elements having i lifting and direeing ring projecting from its eylinalrieelk surface.

Signed by me Boeien,y lbassa'ehusette, this 13th clay of liflny9 19h?.

` FRED R. TAISEY. 

